It was November 14, 1991. If you were alive then, you remember the hype. Fox, MTV, and BET all stopped what they were doing to premiere the video for Black or White by Michael Jackson. 500 million people watched. That is a staggering number for a pre-internet world.
Think about that. One out of every ten people on the planet saw the same music video at the same time.
But here is the thing: nobody talks about the song anymore without talking about the "Panther Dance." You know, the part where Michael walks out of the studio, turns into a black panther, and starts smashing windows? It was violent. It was weird. It felt out of place for a song that, on the surface, sounded like a catchy plea for racial harmony. People were confused. Honestly, some people were mad.
The Sound of 1991: More Than Just a Pop Song
Most people think of Black or White by Michael Jackson as a simple pop-rock anthem. It’s got that chunky guitar riff that everyone swore was played by Slash from Guns N' Roses. Actually, it wasn't. While Slash played on the intro for the album version, the main riff was actually Bill Bottrell. He was the producer who helped MJ craft that specific, gritty sound.
The song itself is a bit of a sonic Frankenstein. It mixes hard rock, dance-pop, and even a rap verse from L.T.B. (Bill Bottrell under a pseudonym). It shouldn't work. On paper, it’s a mess. But Michael had this uncanny ability to take disparate genres and glue them together with a hook that stays in your head for three decades.
Why did it hit so hard? Timing.
The early 90s were tense. The Rodney King beating had happened months earlier. Racial friction in America was at a boiling point. Michael, who was already dealing with intense public scrutiny over his changing appearance, decided to address the elephant in the room. He didn't do it with a lecture. He did it with a beat.
That Guitar Riff and the Slash Myth
Let's clear this up because it’s a huge point of contention among music nerds. If you look at the liner notes for the Dangerous album, Slash is credited for "Special Guitar Performance." Most fans assume he’s the one playing that iconic "Dun-da-dun-dun" riff throughout the track.
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Nope.
Slash actually plays on the skit at the beginning—the one where the kid (played by Macaulay Culkin) blasts his dad into space with a giant speaker. The main driving rhythm of the song is all Bottrell. It’s a bit of a "gotcha" moment in music history. It shows how Michael used star power—like Slash—to market a song, even if the legend didn't match the technical reality of the recording booth.
The Morphing Tech That Changed Everything
You cannot talk about the video for Black or White by Michael Jackson without mentioning the "morphing" sequence. Before this, seeing one face seamlessly melt into another was pure science fiction.
The team at Pacific Data Images spent weeks on those few seconds. They used a technique called "feature-based image metamorphosis." Basically, they had to manually map out points on a person’s eyes, nose, and mouth so the computer knew how to transition from a woman’s smile to a man’s jawline.
It looks "kinda" dated now, sure. But in 1991? It was magic.
The message was clear: underneath the skin, we are the same. It was a literal visual representation of the song's title. It featured Tyra Banks before she was a household name and a dozen other models of different ethnicities. It was the peak of "The United Colors of Benetton" era of aesthetic activism.
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The Controversy We All Forgot (Or Chose To)
Now, we have to get into the messy part. The last four minutes of the original video.
After the song ends, Michael walks off the set. He transforms into a panther. He then proceeds to smash a car's windows, destroy a store front, and simulate masturbation.
It was a PR nightmare.
The public didn't get it. Parents were horrified. Michael eventually had to issue a public apology and edit those final minutes out for subsequent airings. He claimed the "vandalism" was a protest against racism—the car he smashed had a swastika and "KKK Rules" painted on the windows (which were added in post-production to make the violence more "meaningful").
Was it a genuine artistic expression of rage against systemic oppression? Or was it a superstar having a breakdown on film?
The truth is likely somewhere in the middle. Michael was under immense pressure. He was the biggest star in the world trying to stay relevant while Grunge was starting to kill off 80s pop. He needed to be "dangerous"—which coincidentally was the name of the album.
Why the Song Still Matters Today
Music critics often dismiss Michael's 90s output as being overproduced or paranoid compared to Thriller. I think that's a mistake. Black or White by Michael Jackson represents a shift in his career. It was the moment he stopped trying to be everyone's "Peter Pan" and started showing teeth.
The lyrics are actually quite sharp. "I am tired of this devil / I am tired of this stuff / I am tired of this business." He wasn't just talking about race; he was talking about the media machine that was trying to define him.
A Quick Reality Check on the Stats:
- It hit #1 in 20 countries.
- It stayed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks.
- It was the first single by an American to enter the UK charts at #1 since Elvis Presley.
Those aren't just numbers. They are proof of a cultural monopoly that doesn't exist anymore. In our fragmented streaming world, we don't have these "universal" moments.
How to Truly Appreciate the Track Today
If you want to understand the impact of Black or White by Michael Jackson, you have to look past the tabloid history. Forget the skin bleaching rumors. Forget the court cases for a second. Just listen to the arrangement.
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- Listen to the "Stems": If you can find the isolated tracks online, listen to the percussion. There are layers of snapping, foot stomps, and beatboxing hidden under the synths.
- Watch the "Censored" Version: Look for the full 11-minute cut. Watch it without the bias of the 90s media. You'll see a man who was clearly frustrated with how the world viewed him.
- Compare it to the Competition: Put this song next to anything else on the radio in 1991. It makes the hair metal and early bubblegum pop of that year sound thin and amateur.
Michael Jackson was obsessed with "perfection." Every kick drum hit had to be felt in the chest. Every "hee-hee" had to be placed at the exact millisecond to drive the rhythm forward.
Ultimately, the song serves as a reminder that the conversation about race hasn't actually changed that much. We’re still arguing about the same things Michael was singing about over thirty years ago. He didn't solve the world's problems with a song, but he forced everyone to look at them while they danced.
What to do next
If you're revisiting Michael's 90s era, don't stop here. Take a second to listen to the rest of the Dangerous album, specifically tracks like "Jam" and "Give In To Me." You'll hear a much more complex, darker artist than the one who gave us "Beat It."
Also, look up the work of John Landis, who directed the "Black or White" video. He’s the same guy who did "Thriller." Comparing the two videos shows the evolution of Michael’s psyche—from the playful horror of the 80s to the aggressive social commentary of the 90s. Understanding that shift is the key to understanding Michael Jackson.